Sales techniques are methods for guiding a sales conversation: how you find out what the customer needs, how you present your offer and how you ask for a decision. No single technique beats all the others. The one that works depends on what you sell, who you sell it to and where you are in the sale.
Here are 7 proven methods compared: SPIN, consultative selling, AIDA, value-based selling, challenger, storytelling and the alternative close. Each one comes with a short example, its pros and cons, and when to use it.
The 7 sales techniques at a glance
| Technique | Main advantage | Drawback | Use it when… |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPIN | The customer realizes on their own that they need to change | Takes preparation and practice | The sale is complex or high-value |
| Consultative selling | Builds trust and long-term relationships | Slower sales cycles | You sell services or to repeat customers |
| AIDA | Easy to apply to emails and presentations | Falls short in long conversations | You're writing a first message or a proposal |
| Value-based selling | Justifies your price | Requires a solid grasp of the customer's business | You're up against cheaper alternatives |
| Challenger | Sets you apart as an expert | Can come across as arrogant | The customer has already done their homework |
| Storytelling | People remember a case better than a figure | A long or doubtful story hurts your credibility | You're presenting or answering "does this actually work?" |
| Alternative close | Makes the last step easier | Feels pushy if the customer isn't ready | You already see clear buying signals |
The sales techniques, one by one
1. SPIN selling
Neil Rackham developed it by studying real sales conversations and explained it in his book SPIN Selling. It's built on four types of questions: Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-payoff. The idea is for the customer to describe the problem, and what they'd gain by solving it, in their own words.
Example (invoicing software): "How do you send out invoices today?" "What happens when there's a mistake?" "How long does fixing it take at month-end?" "What would your team do with that time if the process were automatic?"
2. Consultative selling
You act more like an advisor than a salesperson: first you understand the customer's situation, and if your product isn't a good fit, you tell them. The approach was popularized by Mack Hanan's book Consultative Selling.
Example: an insurance broker who, before offering anything, reviews the company's current policies and points out a coverage they're paying for twice.
3. AIDA
It organizes a message into four steps: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. It's attributed to American advertising pioneer E. St. Elmo Lewis, in the late 19th century.
Example (email to a dental office): "How many appointments were missed last month?" (attention). "Automatic reminders reach every patient the day before" (interest). "Your front desk stops calling people one by one" (desire). "Can I show you how it works in 15 minutes on Thursday?" (action).
4. Value-based selling (and solution selling)
They're close cousins. In solution selling you don't sell a product, you sell the answer to a specific problem. In value-based selling you translate that answer into what the customer gains: money, time or less risk. The challenge is putting a number on it without exaggerating.
Example: instead of "the software has 50 templates," you say "you'll put together each proposal in an afternoon, not two days."
5. Challenger
It comes from The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson. The idea is to teach customers something they didn't know about their own business, tailor the message to each person and take control of the conversation, including when price comes up.
Example (marketing agency to an online store): "You measure success by traffic, but what you're missing is repeat purchases. Look at what happens to your customers after their first order."
6. Storytelling
You tell the real story of another customer: the problem they had, what they did and what changed. The customer sees themselves in it and remembers it better than a list of features. Keep your stories short and true.
Example: "A bakery with three locations had the same scheduling problem you do. They tried it at one location for a month and then rolled it out to the other two."
7. Alternative close
Instead of asking "do you want it?", you offer two options that both mean yes. It helps customers who are already convinced but hesitate at the last step. If they haven't made up their mind yet, the move is obvious and puts them off.
Example: "Would you rather start on the 1st or the 15th?" or "Should we go with the monthly plan or the annual one?"
How to choose the right sales technique
These techniques don't compete with each other: each one fits a stage. AIDA for the first message, SPIN or consultative selling to uncover needs, value and storytelling for the proposal, and the alternative close at the end. Ask yourself:
- How much does what you sell cost? The higher the price, the more time you need for discovery (SPIN, consultative).
- Does the customer arrive well informed? If they've already researched everything, you need to bring a fresh insight (challenger).
- Are you compared on price? Talk about results, not features (value).
If you have no one to talk to yet, the step before this is prospecting: we compare phone, email and LinkedIn for prospecting. And if the customer starts debating terms, you're already negotiating: take a look at the main negotiation styles.
Pick one technique and practice it for two weeks before adding another. Switching methods in every meeting is the fastest way to master none of them.
How to practice sales techniques
Reading about SPIN won't make you ask better questions. You need practice: role-play with a colleague, shadow an experienced salesperson or use a simulator. Here's what to expect from a training video game:
Pros
- You practice sales decisions without putting real customers at risk.
- You get feedback after every exercise.
- You go at your own pace, in short sessions, on any device.
Cons
- It doesn't replace talking to actual customers.
- The cases aren't about your product or your industry.
- It takes consistency: if you don't play, you don't level up.
Where Game Strategies fits in
Our sales courses include Merchants (10 hours), where you negotiate and close deals in 15th-century Venice across 6 cases, and Lumière 1 (1 hr 30 min), on the basics of sales prospecting. In influence and persuasion, Chocolate (2 hours) works on seven principles for crafting messages that win people over. And in communication, 2100 (2 hours) trains active listening across 27 customer service situations.
None of them teaches SPIN or challenger by name, but they train what every technique depends on: listening, asking, persuading and negotiating. They're all included in the annual license at €299 per user (VAT included), which gives you one year of access to all 71 games. When you finish each course, you get a certificate of completion for your LinkedIn profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best sales technique?
There isn't just one. If you're starting out, combine AIDA for your messages with SPIN or consultative selling for your meetings.
What's the difference between sales techniques and sales strategies?
Your sales strategy decides who you sell to, through which channel and with what offer. A technique is how you handle each conversation with the customer. You need both.
Are they useful if I don't work in sales?
Yes. If you're self-employed, pitch projects or need to convince your boss, you're selling. Asking good questions and talking about results works in any conversation.